VI. GHOST TOWN

All of these ghost towns

I keep traveling through

...Blindsiding me to you

Mike's leg was bumping impatiently and he knew it was driving everyone crazy. But he couldn't help it, in just a few hours he'd be back in Hawkins and there was no amount of fidgeting that could ease the absolute dread and anxiety he felt.

He hadn't been home for almost five months now, excusing his absence in the overwhelming workload he'd been getting at uni. He also didn't want to think about how awkward he always felt at home, having to mediate between his parents at dinner and constantly assaulted by the crippling guilt of leaving Holly alone to deal with all of it.

And now Holly was apparently gone.

When Mike had seen his mother's name light up on his phone, he knew it could not mean anything good. There was an unspoken rule of communicating weekly: an hour or two of an awkward video call during the weekends in which their parents took turns asking him the same questions (Have you eaten? How's school? How is the thesis coming along? When are you coming home?).

In all his semesters away, neither of his parents had ever called him outside their weekly video call. Specially not at 7 am on a Sunday.

"Holly's gone! She hasn't been home since yesterday morning!" Karen had screeched as soon as Mike answered the call. "Has she talked to you at all? Is she there with you?"

But she hadn't. In fact, Mike hadn't talked to Holly lately. He'd been feeling so terrible, so sad after that fateful morning with El all those weeks ago, that he'd forgotten to check up on Holly via text.

Feeling disgusted at his own pathetic selfishness, Mike had asked his mother whether she'd talked to Nancy already. Karen informed him that his older sister couldn't pick up but assured her that Holly was not staying with her.

"Your father and I are going to place a missing persons report now and we've already talked to Hopper," Karen had said. "Please call if you hear about her."

"I'll be there as soon as I can," Mike had said, already halfway through the door.

He didn't bother waking any of his friends.

-…-…-

All of these traffic signs

And lonesome bars

Blindsiding me to you

"So when will I be meeting this mysterious guy?" asked El from the couch as she watched Max glance at her reflection on the big mirror in the hallway.

"Oh shut up, El, you know I'm never serious about anything."

"Except for me."

Max's red lips pulled into a smile. "Can't deny what's true."

"No, but, really," the brunette continued, not giving her friend a respite, "you've been dating for like almost a month now and you've gone out this week four days in a row. And you still obsess over your appearance before going out?"

There was only silence as Max fixed a few unruly wisps of hair.

"And you refuse to tell me his name?"

"What time is it?"

"And now you change topics."

Max turned to look at her friend, her face serious.

"It's barely seven."

"Already?!"

"But your date's in half an ho-"

"-I don't want to be late! This is... different."

Now, it was El's turn to be speechless.

"Different? How?"

Max turned to her, her blue eyes twinkling with something akin to fear. "I really don't want to ruin it."

El's face set in determination. "You won't. And if you do, then we'll go out and have fun and you'll move on like we always do."

The redhead smiled at her friend. "You're right." However, the smile did not quite reach her eyes.

Once Max left for her date, El settled in for yet another solo movie night.

-…-…-

If you've got visions of the past

Let them follow you down

For they'll come back to you someday

Holly was gone for exactly nine days. Nine days in which the Wheeler household buzzed with activity throughout the day. Nine days in which Karen, Ted and Mike had tried leaving their differences aside to be worried sick together. Nancy had also been there for a couple of days, as long as she could get away from work, and had done her best to have the news about Holly's disappearance in every media outlet in Indiana.

At the end, they'd found her all the way in Chicago. She'd been stopped by a concerned policeman on a train and had promptly been identified. She refused to explain or elaborate on why she'd fled.

In fact, since being spotted in Chicago, Holly hadn't uttered a single word.

Mike looked at her now, sitting in front of him on one of the police station's uncomfortable chairs. She looked so small and young. So helpless. They were all lucky she was found safe and sound.

Karen and Ted were currently talking to Hopper and signing papers. Mike cleared his throat, trying to get Holly's attention.

"I heard there's a new Star Wars movie," he began. "I wonder if anyone would like to watch it with me."

Nothing.

"It would be such a shame to go on my own, people would see me as the huge nerd that I am."

At that, Holly scoffed. "They already see you as the huge nerd that you are," she said quietly, still not meeting his eye.

A huge smile broke across Mike's face.

-…-…-

I swear I can be better

I could be more to you

But there are things

That lie in my path

That I just have to do

She had taken to fleeing whenever Max approached with that familiar mischievous twinkle in her eye. Of course, fleeing meaning making up any kind of excuse to go wherever else and avoid her friend's well-intended but still unwelcome match-making skills.

Ever since she and her mysterious boyfriend, Lucas, had begun their relationship, Max had been pestering El about getting into a relationship of her own. What was it about people in love that they always wanted others to be happily in love too? Were double dates that much fun?

El had always thought those kinds of things were kind of cringe. She'd thought Max agreed.

Now, she hurried along the sidewalk, not thinking about where she was going and only worrying about going far. The songs blaring through her headphones were in a foreign language and made her want to dance, El focused on them, on the emotions behind the voice of the singer.

She didn't stop until she realized she'd been betrayed by her own two feet.

The familiar sound of the sea and the beautiful sunset welcomed her. She was standing right at the spot she'd been trying to avoid for weeks now.

Without thinking about it much, El jumped to the other side of the wall separating the sidewalk from the precipice that had the sea at its base. She lowered herself slowly into a seated position, keeping her back to the small brick wall.

A sigh escaped from her parted lips and she closed her eyes, allowing herself, for the very first time, to picture something else, another dimension, a what-if. To picture what could have been if she hadn't acted like a jerk that day, all those weeks ago, if she had stayed longer, if she'd accepted Mike's awkward attempt at asking her out on a date.

Maybe she'd be like Max now, unbearable in all her infatuated glory.

Maybe she could finally allow herself to feel happy.

But this was just nonsense.

-…-…-

And I found myself attached

To this railroad track

But I'll come back to you someday

This was probably the longest time Mike had ever spent flying in his life.

He hadn't slept in the past two days since Holly's return, alert to any little sound coming from his little sister's bedroom. He knew their parents were also being extra alert, keeping an eye on their youngest at all times.

But Holly seemed doing fine, if anything she only looked resigned to be back.

For the first time in his life, he had wanted to stay longer in Hawkins. But he knew his excuses at uni were running thin already and if he wasn't there to take his midterm exams, he'd as good as fail every single class he was enrolled in. Mike knew no one could afford such a waste. So he took the latest flight, one that involved several random connections, and tried to make the best out of the little time left he had at Hawkins.

He'd taken Holly out to watch the latest Star Wars, they went for a walk through the thick forest surrounding the town and had a picnic at the quarry. Holly was quiet, quieter than usual throughout this time, and Mike couldn't help but wonder what had happened that made his sweet, well-behaved sister run away from home.

Mike told her about how he'd used D&D as an escape and showed her Fort Byers, the place where he used to go whenever their parents' screaming became too unbearable at home. Holly's eyes shined with unshed tears and Mike could finally confirm what had probably been the motivation.

"I'm so sorry Holly," he'd whispered to her. "I'm sorry I chose to go so far away from here."

Later, when the Wheelers took Mike to the airport, Holly had hugged him tight and Mike had felt the simultaneous pang of guilt and relief washing over him. She didn't blame him for leaving her alone to fend off their dysfunctional parents, but he still felt like he had a duty to help her out as much as possible.

But how could he help anyone out when he felt so worthless?

-…-…-

"You promised El!"

"I know, but I changed my mind!"

"You can't do that, you know we never break our promises."

"But this is a silly promise, Max!"

"You have TWO MINUTES to get ready, they'll be here any time now."

El huffed in annoyance, opening her closet doors and drawers with a little too much force. She didn't know what it God's name had possessed her to accept Max's idea to have a karaoke night with her new boyfriend and his friends at their apartment.

What kind of outfit screamed "I'm not here to be set-up with anyone" and, at the same time, indicated that she still somewhat cared about her appearance?

She finally settled on wearing her most comfortable pair of mom jeans and a crop top, the first cute items she could find.

The bell rang as she tied her sneakers. She heard Max's excited voice from the front door.

El made her way to her bathroom and took her time combing her already neat-looking wavy hair. Maybe she could stay here, locked up in her bedroom, and Max wouldn't notice.

Her bedroom door opened with a bang.

"Eleven, come out, you're being rude!" Max whispered, glaring at her with disapproval.

She followed her friend out into the living room and looked at the three guys comfortably sprawled in their living room.

"Everyone, this is El."

"This is Lucas," Max pointed at the muscular guy sitting closest to her, "and these are Will and Dustin," she pointed at the small boy sitting in the corner and, finally, at the one with curly hair.

He seemed familiar for some reason.

"It's so nice to meet you! Max has been talking about all of you for weeks now. Nonstop," El said, looking at her friend and rolling her eyes a bit.

They laughed at that and El settled in next to Max.

Lucas began handing out cups that had seemingly materialized from thin air. "Here, some liquid courage so we can properly start karaoke night."

-…-…-

Mike glanced at his phone nervously as the elevator rode up and up and up.

Everyone was already there but he had to hand in some extra work he had to do to make up for the classes he had missed. He barely finished on time to have a shower and head out. If it wasn't for Lucas' insistence, he would probably be passed out in bed already.

He didn't know why he felt such a huge knot at the pit of his stomach, as if his body sensed something was about to happen.

It's probably because all I've eaten today is a cup of instant ramen, he thought as he reread the messages from Lucas again.

The elevator stopped and dinged as the door opened into a well-lit hallway.

Mike walked up to the door. He could hear Dustin singing "Never Ending Story", his go-to karaoke song, at the top of his lings and knew this was the right apartment. He combed his hair with his fingers as he rang the bell. The song came to an end and a roar of applause exploded.

"I DIDN'T KNOW YOU COULD ACTUALLY SING!" someone, a girl, shouted.

"Could someone please get the door? It's probably our friend," he heard Lucas say.

He heard some shuffling and the door opened to show a smiling redhead, the same girl they had seen laughing in the middle of the street.

"Uh, hi," Mike said.

"Mike right? Come in!"

"Yeah, thanks. You must be Max."

"The one and only!"

He followed her into the living room and was faced with his friends-

"-This is my best friend and roomie El," Max said, pointing at the girl Mike was trying so hard to forget.